7 tips for dealing with gift returns

Disappointed gift recipients will return more than $62 billion in unwanted presents this after-Christmas season.

Ragan Robinson

Disappointed gift recipients will return more than $62 billion in unwanted presents this after-Christmas season.

Wednesday was expected to be the biggest day for taking back tacky sweaters or unsightly trinkets, says the National Retail Federation. But merchants expect long lines at the customer service desk throughout the weekend.

Most have very visible return policies, which consumer groups urge shoppers to read fully.

The rules for dealing with the gift giver, however, aren’t quite set in stone.

Gloria Starr, a Charlotte etiquette and communications coach, offers these pointers for dealing with the people behind the presents you can do without.

1. Keep quiet.

You don’t have to tell the gift givers you’re taking back the things they picked out, Starr says. Simply exchange it for something you will enjoy. That was the point of the gift in the first place.

One caveat: Starr says you probably have to come clean if the giver asks you a specific question about the missing item.

2. Massage the truth.

When you get caught returning the paisley pant suit from Aunt Maude, it’s appropriate to tell the dear lady it didn’t quite “fit.”

Or maybe tell her you wanted something you could enjoy or wear more often.

3. Next time, be realistic

You’ll feel less deceitful about returning a present if you didn’t put on a false show when you opened it.